Kenneth Harold Broughton

Kenneth Harold Broughton, 84, of rural Alpine, WY, left his earthly home, family, and friends on February 6, 2021, to join his Lord and family and friends who went before him. He will be greatly missed.

Ken was the last of eight children born to Mabel Helen (Kohler) Broughton and Frederick (“too poor to have a middle name” Broughton on March 25, 1936. He was born in the farmhouse where he grew up near Morris, PA. Ken grew up fishing and hunting and did chores like all farm boys.

After his father died, Kenneth quit high school during his sophomore year to work at a dairy farm to help support his mother. He later earned his GED and was an avid reader and a self-taught man. He could pretty much figure anything out. Ken had a lifelong interest in the stock market, loved his gadgets, electronics, reading, continuous learning, and politics, and he was an awesome cook.

In the ‘50’s he worked for his sister Jen in her grocery store in Clarion, PA, at Rosenbaum’s (“Of Course”) Department Store in Elmira, NY, as manager of the fur storage department, and from 1955-1962, he worked on a chicken/egg producing farm. In 1962 Ken bought his own poultry ranch where he also raised chickens for egg production.

Kenneth married Maddie Philips in 1955 and they were blessed with three children: David Alan, Diane Marie, and Douglas Arthur. They lived on the poultry ranch till 1969, when Ken and Maddie divorced. He then worked as a life insurance agent for a couple years before buying a service station in Lock Haven, PA, only a few months before the Susquehanna River flooded the station to the ceiling. Ken (the “round man with the square deal”) owned and operated the service station for about 3 years then went on to manage a rental store.

In 1978 Ken left PA to work for a geophysical exploration company as the chief mechanic on a field crew. He met his wife-to-be, Paula McCann, in 1979, and they married February 29, 1984. They traveled all over the country with work, coast to coast, border to border, and on the North Slope, Alaska. While working in Star Valley, Ken and Paula fell in love with the area and adopted Star Valley as their new home in 1986.

In 1995, in the early days of internet service in the Valley, Kenneth started “Star Valley Wyoming Online” www.starvalleywy.com and later “Wyoming Online” www.wyomingnet.com. He was a diligent and dedicated webmaster who worked tirelessly for his clients, serving them well until his retirement.

Kenneth served in the National Guard from 1955-1956. In 1964, he enlisted in the Army Reserve, retiring in 1980. He was also proud of being a 32nd degree Mason.

Ken was preceded in death by his oldest son David, great-granddaughter Lyric, his parents and all his siblings. He is survived by his wife Paula, his son Doug (Kristin) Broughton and their daughters Kristin and Katelin, his daughter Diane (Jim) West and their sons Chad and Brandon, and David’s daughter Angela, 5 great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law, Elthea (Jim) Broughton, Sharon (Donnie) Broughton, and mother-in-law Lucy McCann.

Kenneth requested no service be held. An informal celebration of his life will be held in the spring.